Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A method for defining a database schema comprising: sending, from a host machine to a user machine, a graphical representation of a schema, the host machine having one or more processors and a memory system, the graphical representation including: a plurality of graphical objects representing a plurality of database objects, each of the graphical objects representing a different one of database objects, and at least two types of lines having graphically different appearances, each line connecting at least two of the plurality of graphical objects, a first type of line represents a master-detail relationship between a first and second database object and a second type of line representing a lookup relationship between a third database object and a fourth database object, the second database object inheriting at least one usage constraint defined by the first database object and the third database object including at least one field that receives its values from at least one field of the fourth database object, receiving, at the host machine, user input from the client machine in the form of altering a graphical object of the graphical representation of the database schema; altering the database schema in response to the input.
A system allows users to define database schemas using a graphical interface. A host machine sends a visual representation of the schema to a user's machine. This representation includes graphical objects, each representing a database object (like a table). Lines connect these objects, showing relationships. Two types of lines exist: one for master-detail relationships (where one object's constraints affect another) and another for lookup relationships (where one object's field gets values from another). The user can modify the schema by altering these graphical objects through user input on their machine, and the host machine updates the actual database schema accordingly.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the host computer, rendering information for rendering a display of the altered graphical representations of the database schema.
The database schema definition method as described: A host computer sends updated rendering information to a client machine, allowing the client to display the altered graphical representation of the database schema, ensuring that changes made by the user are visually reflected in the graphical interface.
3. The method of claim 1 , the altering of the database schema further comprises adding at least a database object by adding a graphical representation of the database object.
The database schema definition method as described: The altering of the database schema includes adding new database objects by adding graphical representations of these new objects to the schema's visual representation. This allows users to create new tables or other database components through the graphical interface.
4. The method of claim 1 , the altering of the database schema further comprises deleting at least a database table by deleting a graphical representation of the database table from a graphical representation of at least a portion of a database schema, the graphical representation of at least the portion of the database schema including multiple graphical representations of database tables, the graphical representation of at least the portion of the database schema being located on a graphical canvas.
The database schema definition method as described: The altering of the database schema includes deleting database tables by deleting their graphical representations from the visual representation. The schema is displayed on a graphical canvas, showing multiple database tables and their relationships.
5. The method of claim 4 , the altering at least the database schema further includes adding at least a data field by at least adding a graphical representation of the data field to a graphical representation of the database table.
The database schema definition method where a database table is deleted by deleting the graphical representation: Altering the schema further includes adding data fields to a database table by adding graphical representations of those fields to the table's graphical representation within the canvas.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein sending the rendering information includes sending rendering information for at least rendering a rectangular box representing a database table.
The database schema definition method where altering the database schema involves adding database objects with graphical representations: Sending rendering information includes sending data needed to draw a rectangular box representing a database table within the graphical interface, ensuring the visual representation of tables is consistent.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein sending rendering information includes sending information for at least rendering the rectangular box including a rectangular region within the rectangular box representing a field.
The database schema definition method where altering the database schema involves adding database objects with graphical representations: Sending rendering information includes data to draw a rectangular box (table) and a rectangular region within it that represents a field inside that table.
8. A method for defining a database schema comprising: receiving, at a host machine, user input for a change for a database schema from a client machine in the form of altering a at least one of a plurality of graphical objects element of a graphical representation of the database schema, the host machine including at least a processor system having one or more processors, and a memory system; in response to the input, the processor system automatically altering the database schema in response to the input; updating, by the host machine, the graphical representation of the database schema to graphically represent the at least one altered graphical object of the database schema; sending, by the host machine, rendering information to the client machine for rendering a display of the updated graphical representations of the database schema, the rendering information including at least two lines having graphically different a first type of line representing a master-detail relationship between a first database object and a second database object and a second type of line representing a lookup relationship between a third database object and a fourth database object, the second database object inheriting at least one usage constraint defined by the first database object and the third database object including at least one field that receives its values from at least one field of the fourth database object.
A system for defining database schemas involves a host machine receiving user input from a client machine to change the database schema. This input is in the form of altering graphical objects representing the schema. The host machine automatically alters the actual database schema based on this input. The host machine then updates the graphical representation of the schema to reflect the changes and sends rendering information to the client machine so it can display the updated schema. The rendering information includes two types of lines: one for master-detail relationships (where one object's constraints affect another) and another for lookup relationships (where one object's field gets values from another).
9. A method for defining a database schema comprising: receiving, at a host machine, user input from a client machine in the form of altering at least one of a plurality of graphical objects of a graphical representation of a database schema, the host machine having one or more processors and a memory system; altering the database schema in response to the input; updating, by the host machine, the graphical representation of the database schema to graphically represent the at least one altered graphical object of the database schema; sending, by the host machine, rendering information to the client machine for rendering a display of the updated graphical representations of the database schema, the rendering information including at least two lines having graphically different appearances, each line connecting at least two of the plurality of graphical objects, a first type of line representing a master-detail relationship between a first database object and a second database object and a second type of line representing a lookup relationship between a third database object and a fourth database object, the second database object inheriting at least one usage constraint defined by the first database object and the third database object including at least one field that receives its values from at least one field of the fourth database object.
A system for defining database schemas involves a host machine receiving user input to change a database schema. This input is in the form of altering graphical objects representing the schema. The host machine alters the database schema based on this input. The graphical representation of the schema is updated to reflect the changes, and rendering information is sent to the client machine to display the updated schema. The rendering information includes two types of lines: one for master-detail relationships (where one object's constraints affect another) and another for lookup relationships (where one object's field gets values from another).
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: the sending of the rendering information for rendering a display of the graphical representation of the database schema including sending information for at least rendering the rectangular box; the rectangular box including a rectangular region representing a field within the rectangular box.
In the database schema definition method, the sending of rendering information for rendering the display of the graphical representation includes sending information to render a rectangular box for a table, which includes a rectangular region inside it that represents a field.
11. The method of claim 1 , the altering of the database schema further comprises setting user permission to access the database schema.
The database schema definition method as described: Altering the database schema includes setting user permissions to access the database schema, controlling who can view or modify the schema.
12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rendering information further comprises information for rendering a navigational map of the graphical representation of the schema with a portion of the navigational map highlighted, the portion of the navigational map highlighted being the portion of the graphical representation of the schema that is displayed on a graphical canvas, the scale of the navigational map being smaller than the scale of the graphical representation of the schema.
The database schema definition method where rendering information is sent to client machine to display the altered schema, the rendering information includes a navigational map of the schema. A portion of this map is highlighted to show what part of the full schema is currently displayed on the main canvas. The map uses a smaller scale than the main schema view.
13. The method of claim 4 , further comprises adding a schema element by dragging and dropping a corresponding graphical elements from a menu to the canvas.
The database schema definition method as described where a database table is deleted by deleting the graphical representation: The method allows schema elements to be added by dragging and dropping corresponding graphical elements from a menu onto the canvas, providing a user-friendly way to add new components.
14. A computer readable media storing one or more machine instructions, which when invoked carry out the method of claim 1 .
Computer-readable storage media containing instructions that, when executed, perform the database schema definition method of displaying a graphical representation of the database schema, including database objects and different line types to represent relationships, receiving user input to alter the schema, and altering the database schema in response to the input.
15. A method of claim 1 , the host system hosting a multi-tenant database.
The database schema definition method as described: The host system runs a multi-tenant database, meaning multiple users or organizations share the same database infrastructure but have their data isolated from each other.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein altering includes altering of the database schema including altering the relations between the two database objects.
The database schema definition method as described: Altering the database schema includes altering the relationships between two database objects, such as changing a one-to-many relationship to a many-to-many relationship.
17. The method of claim 1 , the line representing the lookup relationship and the line representing the master-detail relationship appearing in the same graphical representations of a database.
The database schema definition method as described: The lines representing lookup and master-detail relationships can appear together in the same graphical representation of a database, allowing users to visualize different types of relationships simultaneously.
18. The method of claim 1 , each type of line having a different color.
The database schema definition method as described: Each type of line (representing different relationships) has a different color, making it easier for users to visually distinguish between master-detail and lookup relationships.
19. The method of claim 1 , the at least two types of line include a first type of line that is a solid line and a second type of line that is a dashed line.
The database schema definition method as described: The two types of lines include a solid line and a dashed line, providing a clear visual distinction between different types of relationships in the graphical representation of the schema.
Unknown
December 16, 2014
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.